Mendocino County animal shelter director resigns

The former director of Mendocino County's Animal Care Services resigned last month after being on administrative leave since September.

"It was time for me to leave," said Bliss Fisher Friday, adding she would not give any details about what led her to leave her job. "It's all very complicated. I would have liked to have continued in my job, but given all the circumstances, it was time for me to go."

Stacey Cryer, the county's director of Health and Human Services, said Friday that it wasn't a surprise when Fisher resigned, and she couldn't speak to what would have happened if Fisher hadn't stepped down.

Cryer also said she could not speak to whether there had been an investigation into Fisher's conduct that involved interviewing the other employees at the animal shelter on Plant Road in Ukiah last year.

Cryer said Sage Mountainfire is continuing in her role as interim director, and a recruitment process has been started to fill Fisher's position. As to how long that process would take, Cryer said it would depend on "whether we get good, qualified candidates."

"I think the shelter will be OK without me," Fisher said, adding that the facility has a "dedicated staff and an extremely dedicated, core group of volunteers" that she enjoyed working with.

"The euthanasia rate (at the shelter) dropped to the lowest rate it had ever been while I was there and I can be proud of that," she said, adding that she believed those remaining at the shelter would do their best to keep the rate low.

Fisher said she is continuing her work to improve animal welfare both professionally and personally, taking a part-time job at Petaluma Animal Services and taking in a litter of eight Chihuahua puppies.

"My speciality is working with moms and puppies that otherwise would be euthanized," she said, describing the puppies she has at her house now as "about the size of a small kitten," and "way too young to be at a shelter."

She also volunteers her time to help spay and neuter animals in Mexico, traveling there four times a year with a local veterinarian.

"We'll see where I end up," she said, adding that she was not sure yet if she would remain in Mendocino County.